Bett determined to do better

EMMANUEL Bett was the fastest man in the world over 10 kilometres this year, but he was only the fourth-fastest Kenyan when it mattered most and missed the Kenyan Olympics team.

The man he defeated at last year's Melbourne Zatopek 10, Bedan Karoki, edged him out for the third of three places on the team for London.

Ordinarily, the Kenyan distance running titles are like the Jamaican sprint titles - getting on the national team is harder than getting on the podium at the Olympics or world championships. Seven of the top 10-fastest runners over 10,000 metres this year were Kenyans.

But this year Mo Farah up-ended those expectations when the Briton won the 5000 and 10,000 gold medal double in London.

Aside from David Rudisha's win in the 800 and another gold in the steeplechase, the Kenyans failed to medal in the 10,000, won bronze in the 5000 and were pushed into the minor medals in the marathon.

''Everyone was expecting more medals … but unfortunately we didn't get the medals because of the Ethiopian guys … and Mo Farah,'' said Bett, who is in Melbourne to defend his Zatopek 10 title.

"Farah is really a tough man because he … trains in Kenya so he understands the tactics [of Kenyan runners], and this man sometimes trains sprints. I think the main weakness in Kenyan long-distance runners is the sprint, the final kick.''

Bett was phlegmatic about missing the Olympics, understanding that, ultimately, racing is about where you finish and less the time you run. Farah ran his quickest time of the year to win gold in London, but 37 other men ran quicker for the year.

"In Kenya, long-distance running is very hard because everyone in Kenya trains for the long distance. It is very hard [to qualify]," he said. "With not making the Olympic team I was not disappointed but it gave me time to think where I had the problem.''

Bett said that without a pacemaker in the national trial he decided to lead, but in the end it cost him and he was swamped at the line.

On Saturday night, he will have a pacemaker for the first four laps and hopes it will give him the lead-in he needs to not only win the race and defend his title, but to break the 13-year record time of 27 minutes, 22 seconds by Kenyan Luke Kipkosgei. "I hope to be among the strong men in history who have won the Zatopek, and hope … to improve on my performance and, if possible, to improve the meeting record," he said.

A weather forecast of extreme heat followed by a thunderstorm might complicate those plans.

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